Branson told The Associated Press Monday that up to 300,000 people are expected to attend the Feb. 22 concert.

It's being held in the Colombian border city, the staging point for foreign humanitarian aid that is being blocked from entry to Venezuela by socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

Branson said he's spoken to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido and hopes the concert will help break Maduro's blockade so the aid can reach Venezuelans suffering from chronic shortages of food and medicine.